Fuel tank with discharge coupling



Feb. 17, 1953 c c w FUEL TANK WITH DISCHARGE COUPLING Filed June 10, 1949 INVENTOR. CHA'QLES C.\1\/\L o s .BY

ATTogNEfs.

Patented Feb. 17, 1953 FUEL TANK WITH DISCHARGE COUPLING Charles C. Wilds, Naselle, Wash., assignor of onehalf to Frank P. Andring, Naselle, Wash.

Application June 10, 1949, Serial No. 98,380

1 Claim. 1 This invention relates to a refueling system for motorboat outboard motors.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a system by which the outboard motor of a motorboatcan be refueled while in operation without danger of fire.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a system by which the outboard motor of a motorboat can be refueled while the engine is in operation and the boat is underway without danger of the operator falling overboard.

Another and still further obj ect of the invention is-a systemby which the outboard motor of a motorboat while in operation and the boat is tion, highly efiicient in operation, comparatively cheap of production yet durable in use.

Other objects, novel features of construction and improvements of the inventionwill appear from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view, which is schematic to a degree, illustrating the system in combination with the fuel tank of an outboard motor.

' Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the attachment of the system to the cap of the engine fueltank.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the fuel tank connec tion of the system.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the fuel tank connecting element of the system.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the safety closure cap which is utilized when the system is not in operation.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the safety closure cap.

To those familiar with outboard motors for motorboats it is well known that the capacity of the engine fuel tanks, which tanks are built into and form a part of the engine, is comparatively small which necessitates numerous refuelings if the boat is to travel any appreciable distance and this necessity of refueling is troublesome and if the boat is in rough water it is quite dangerous in that gasoline can be spilled upon the hot engine and cause a fire or the operator can fall overboard when endeavoring to refill the gasoline tank. Additionally this necessity of refueling is particularly bad when the boat is taking part in a race.

The present invention presents a system which is easily, cheaply and quickly adaptable to the fuel tanks of outboard motors as they are ordinarily and conventionally made and additionally provides asystem which is quickly and easily attachable and detachable from the fuel tank so that the system can be readily and quickly detached from the engine after the refueling operation has been completed.

Having reference now to the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the inventive concept and in which like reference numerals and characters are utilized'to designate similar parts, A is the fuel tank of the outboard motor and is provided with a conventional removable filler cap B which is threadedly attached to the tank at l and provided with the usual rubber gasket 2.

In the present system this conventional filler tank cap is utilized but it is slightly modified in that centrally it is provided with an internally threaded opening for the reception of the threaded stem 3 of a nut-like fitting C the enlarged head 4 of which is above the cap B. A suitable gasket 5 of rubber of the like is disposed between the nut head and the cap top. At its underside the cap B is provided with a hollow tubular conduit D. The upper end of this conduit is secured to the underside of the cap and at its upper endis provided with a chamber 6 the lower end of which is provided with a tapered valve seat 1 the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. This conduit D depends into the fuel tank A and at its outlet end is provided with a screen or filter E.

The nut-like fitting C is provided with a supplemental head 8 which is circular in shape. A channelway 9 separates the underside of the supplementalhead from the flat top of the main head 4. The nut C is provided centrally with a bore II! the lower end of which is closed with the exception of oppositely positioned transverse bores II which provide communication with the chamber 6. The lower end of the stem 3 is circumferentially tapered as at I2 so that upon tightening the nut C down the lower end of the stem will seat on the tapered valve 1 to close all outward or inward passage of fuel through the conduit D.

A coupling F is provided internally with a conduit [3 the inner end HI of which terminates at the base I of the coupling while its outer end It extends considerably outwardly beyond the end ll of the coupling. At its bottom the coupling is provided with an inturned flange l8 which is spaced from the base 95 to provide a channelway IS the height or thickness of which is substantially the same as the channelway 9 in the nut-like fitting C. This channelway has an open end 20.

The manner of application of the: fittingto. the.

nut C is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 and its operation will be obvious. It need only be stated that the fitting is slid longitudinally onto and off of the nut C by reason of the open channelway end 20.

Although it is'not essential the coupling F may be made of plastic and can'be of a transparent material as can likewise the conduit IS with the result that gasoline can be seen as it passes.

through the coupling and down into the fuel tank. To prevent leakage the outlet end 54 of the conduit is encircled by a rubber gasket 2| which is a suitably secured'in place by cement. or the-like.

gasket serves adouble function in thatit prevents leakage and also" holdsthe coupling, in

place'by resilient frictional tension: toprevent accidental displacementof the coupling.

Extra gasoline is carried in any suitable can/or container such as that designated Gandthis is placed at some point fairly closely adjacentthe engine. A flexible conduit H has oneend-22-connected to the coupling conduit extension [5 while its'other end. 213'8-Xl781'1d5 downwardly into the.

gasoline or fuelcan G- to a" point closely, adjacent the bottom thereof. Intermediate its length the conduit H is provided with a rubber orother'suitable resilient bulb J. Between the bulbv J- and.

the can G and deliver it through the conduit .I-I

through the coupling and down through the .en-'

gine filler cap B and into the fuel tank through the screen or filter E. Oncethe refueling operationis complete the c upling. can quicklybe de-- tached from the fillercap. nut C .andthe system laid aside until refueling is again needed. Upon. completion of arefueling operationthenut C" can .be tightened down and due to the compressibility of the gasket 5 thelower taperedlend E2 of thestem 3 will seat on the valve seatTandl'prevent any outward 'movement Lcf gasoline. from the.

tank A..

When connection of the coupling F is broken. with thenut (I. it is desirable to guardiagainst.

the entry of dirt or foreign matter into the .bore

Ill ofl'th'e nut C. For this purposea safety clo- Periodic pressure on the bulb J will draw gasoline from.

sure cap M is provided and its manner of application is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This cap comprises a flat portion 24 with a depending circular cup-like portion 25 composed of resilient material. The fiat portion 24 can also be'composed of resilient material if desired. The cup-like portion is provided with an inwardly extending circumferential flange 26 which seats in the channelway'gof thenuttC. The? cap has a handle-like portion 2! which is'provid'ed-with a hole 28 for the reception of a chain or string by which the cap M may be secured against loss in theboat or-overboard.

What'I'claim is:

An. arrangement of. the character described comprising, a fuel reception and storage tank provided in one side with a filling opening, a closure cap for the tank opening, a conduit attached to the underside of the cap and having an open lower endcommunicating with the interior of thetank, the upper end ofthe.conduitbeingenlarged to form a chamber immediately below the cap,-.a valve seat in thelower end of the chamber, afitting embodying a main head anda supplemental head" positioned in. spaced relation above the main head to provide a channelway. between the'heads', the fitting also embodying a stemdependingjfrom the main head and having lower. end in the form. of .a valve,v the. fitting.

beingirotatably mounted in the closurecap with the lower valve endof the stem disposed .in the conduit-chamber whereby the-stem valve is movable toward and away from the valveseat upon rotation of the fitting; the-fitting being provided with a bore extending through both-of theheads thereof and having an". open .upper' end,: .the:: stem being provided with a continuation of said b'ore but the bore terminating'short of the-lowerlend of thestem, thestem .above. its lower endbeingprovided with passageways communicating. at their inner ends with the lower end of the stem bore and at their outer endswith thechamber of the conduit at a point above the-valveseat thereof, and the supplemental head of the. fitting adapted to detachablyengage a fuel supply pipe for delivery of fuel. thereby. tothe upperopen end ofthefittingbore.

CHARLES c. WILDS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingu'eferences: are "of record in the:

file of this patent? UNITED STATE S PATENTS Number Name Date 377,520 Hummus .Fb. 7', 1888' 667,947 Morrison Feb. 12;.1901

1,462,689 Davis July 24,.1923'J 1,847,383 Davis Mar; 1, 1932' 1,938,923" Meyer Dec.fi12, 1933 2,072,629 Fernholz 1\ia1-. 2, 1937 2,331,487" McNeal Octfl2, 1943- 24261739 LeClair Sept. 2",1947' 

